The XVIII Northern Character International Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as the Festival) will be held in Murmansk, Murmansk region (Russia) 2-8 November, 2025.

Festival Theme:“Strength of character”
In 2026, the Northern Character International Film Festival aims to focus on what matters the most: the human spirit, forged through adversity. The theme "Strength of Character" explores the multifaceted manifestations of fortitude, both on and off screen.

Program focus:

• Fortitude and willpower: stories of people who, faced with harsh circumstances - be it nature, society, or an internal crisis - did not break down, but found the strength to move on.
• Moral choice: Films in which the key plot element is not an external conflict, but an internal battle where the main characterhas to make a hard but right choice.
• Moral strength or physical strength: we are looking for films that prove that true strength is not muscles, but the steadfastness of principles, faith and kindness.
• Overcoming as a metaphor: let's consider "strength of character" not only in the extreme conditions of the North, but also in the everyday city life, in creativity, in scientific research, and in personal relationships.

"Strength of Character" is a tribute to those who change themselves and the world around them without expecting recognition. It's a central theme of human life, reimagined through the lens of cinema.
The organizers of the Northern Character International Film Festival invite filmmakers and journalists from around the world to submit their creative products for the competition program. We want audiences to see the northern territories in all their glory through the films. It is important to us that the films reflect the theme of caring for the fragile Arctic ecosystems and the stories and destinies of the indigenous peoples of the north, who live in harmony with nature. We will screen films of various genres, shot in the north or by northern directors, covering a wide range of topics: from history to the present day, from the search for meaning to the characters' choice of place in life.

Festival Mission:

• To develop cinematography and film production in the Arctic. To create and to develop film production infrastructure in the Murmansk region.
• To attract Russian and foreign filmmakers to film in the Arctic region of the Russian Federation.
• To discover, promote and support the best contemporary films about the northern regions, the Arctic, and indigenous peoples.
• To search for and support contemporary filmmakers from friendly countries who share traditional spiritual and moral values.
• To support local filmmakers and active residents of the Murmansk region who create films and cultural projects.
• To create a platform for joint creativity.
• Toimprove professional skills in film and television production.
• To provide opportunities for filmmakers to expand their audience.
• To raise awareness of the global community about the lives of people in the Far North, about the prospects for development and careful use of Arctic territories.
• To developcommon environmental standards and approaches to organizing film production in the Arctic to minimize the human impact on nature.
• To present Russia to foreign colleagues as a friendly country open to dialogue, with people who understand contemporary art and ready to discuss relevant issues.

Festival Organizers:
Northern Character Production Center
Art Media Service LLC ​

The Festival is supported by:
Government of the Murmansk region

Festival partners:
Art Media Service LLC
Cinematographers Union of the Russian Federation
Film Production Development Center of the Murmansk Region
Murmansk branch of Union of Journalists of Russia
Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore
Murmansk Regional Art Museum
Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Arctic University
Murmansk State Regional Universal Scientific Library
Murmansk Central City Library
Murmansk Regional Children's and Youth Library of V. P. Makhaeva
Center for Contemporary Art 21 "A" Sopki
Meridian Congress Hotel
Cosmos Murmansk Hotel

Official languages of the Festival: Russian and English

Competitive screening of festival films;
Watching and discussing television programs and films;
Industrial program - master classes by film directors;
Presentations of television and film projects;
Out-of-competition screening of films and television programs;
Culturalprogram.

1. Feature film
2. Documentary film – up to 90 minutes
3. Documentary film – up to 60 minutes
3. Animated film – up to 30 minutes
4. Short fiction film - up to 30 minutes
5. TV series – the first and the second episodes should be provided.

Programs of various genres, television and documentaries, full-length and short feature films created by state, municipal and private television companies, studios, and individuals, and aired in 2024-2026, are accepted for participation in the competition program of the festival.
One filmmaker can submit no more than one film in one category.

Applications and completed films (with English subtitles) for participation in the competition program are accepted strictly from June 1 to August 31, 2026. FilmswithoutEnglishsubtitleswillnotbeaccepted.

Please be aware that the version stated in the application is considered final and cannot be replaced!
Films received after September 31 are not allowed into the competition!

The films are preliminarily reviewed by the Expert Council, that makes their decision on including in the competition program of the festival. The Expert Council does not review submitted video materials (programs, films), and does not consider films without English subtitles.

The results of the competition are presented by the international jury of the festival. Films recognized as winners are awarded Diplomas. The Jury may award additional diplomas for special achievements. 
The jury awards the main award of the festival – “The Grand Prix”. The results of the competition will be announced at the Award Ceremony for the winners of the Festival on November 7, 2025 in Murmansk.

1.An application for participation in the competition is filled out on the website https://northcharfest.ru/ (for films in other languages than Russian, a script for the film in English is required, the script is attached to the application).

2. Film submission form:
a) Video data carrier: Internet file (Vimeo, Dropbox, Yandex.Disk, google-drive) Important: Videos from YouTube are not accepted!
b) Video and audio data format: container *, mp4, *.mov, *.mpeg (*.mpg), (encoder: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264)
Audio/video in *. vob are not accepted!
Recommended file size – up to7 GB.

c) The audio track of a film, program or story must be mixed into both channels L and R with a sound level of -11dB
Audio data format: PCM (Stereo, 48KHz 16 bit, 2 channels), MPEG Audio Layer-2 (48KHz 224 or 256 kbps, 2 channels), AAC, AC3.
Each competition film must have an identification record, which indicates: title, timing, manufacturing company, authors of the work. Materials that are defective in image, sound, or presented in a different format are not allowed into the competition.

3. Competition films must have subtitles in English. Creeping captions are not allowed. The standard for subtitles is 2 lines, taking into account the standard zone for their safe location. Subtitles in SRT file format are accepted.

4. For Russian participants - a completed form for the transfer of the right to non-commercial use of the presented materials within the framework of the Northern Character film marathons, street cinemas, the use of fragments of the program/film in special stories, videos about the Northern Character International Film Festival (the form is included in the application).

5. Materials for the booklet: brief information about the authors of the film/program, posters, stills from the film in the form of 1-2 photographs in horizontal and vertical formats (JPG 720x576, 24 bit), annotation to the film (up to 250 characters!), company name - manufacturer, contact numbers, email address. Information must be presented in Russian and English. (All information is indicated in the application).

Attention to foreign participants: the title of the film is indicated in the original language and duplicated in English.

Programs/films shown at the festival are not given any remuneration for screening.
The festival organizers guarantee the protection of materials submitted for the competition from illegal duplication and distribution without the consent of the author. Festival participants are responsible for the authorship and quality of all presented projects. Compliance with copyright and related rights is carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
Claims and suits of third parties, including holders of copyright and related rights, are resolved on behalf of the participant who presented the work and at his expense.
The Festival Organizing Committee is not responsible for claims and lawsuits related to copyright and related rights of programs (films) submitted to the competition.
Films/programs sent for participation in the competition will not be returned.

Programs/films, applications, printed versions of titles are accepted in electronic form
marked “Northern Character Festival”
E-mail: nchfest@gmail.com
WEB site: https://northcharfest.ru

Organizing Committee of the Festival:
Svetlana Soldatova – festival president, + 7 921 511 05 00, sol@nordfilm.ru
Erofeev Yuri – program director, +7 921 036 00 40, 36_6@mail.ru
Osminina Svetlana – commercial director, +7 911 303 21 90, osminina72@gmail.com
Olga Danilchenko – executive director, + 7 921 287 03 93, o.danilchenko11@yandex.ru